This Is Not The End
by AllBeautyDestroyed
Summary: She promised she would find me. Now I have to sit and wait. I don't even know if she's still alive...
1. I Will Find You

"Run!" She screamed, as she turned and started back peddling, she could feel the recoil of her M4 as she squeezed the trigger. She watched as each bullet found its mark. She could hear the metallic clink from each expended round as it bounced on the pavement below her feet. "Keep running!" She yelled at the seven survivors. She watched in horror as the alleyway started to fill with...them. "Up the fire escape!" She heard Nate yelling over the screaming and gunshots. The horde of undead continued to descend upon them. She watched as Matt helped the two women and teenager up the rusted ladder. "There's too many of them!" She heard Shane yell. She continued to fire into the hoard. "Demi! Come on!" She heard Matt yelling from the fire escape. The brunette turned and started sprinting toward the others. She could hear the moaning and screaming from the undead horde that chased her. She could hear their footfalls as they drew closer. She jumped up and grabbed the ladder, she felt the strong hands that gripped her wrists and hoisted her up. Her ears rang from the barrage of gunfire as Shane put several of the creatures down before they could ascend the ladder.

"Jesus Fucking Christ!" She yelled. She got up onto her feet and followed the rest of the group as they climbed. "Look! The chopper!" Matt said pointing to the helicopter that flew above. "We gotta move faster!" Demi instructed the group. She could hear the clanging of metal below them. She knew that those creatures were following them, if they caught up, they had no where to run. "Get them on the roof!" She told the three men. Nate and Demi hunched over allowing the other survivors to use them as a step stool. Matt and Shane followed. "Go!" Nate instructed. "Fuck no! You first." She ordered. He let out an exasperated sigh and did as he was told. She could see the snarling faces as they drew closer. She jumped and extended her arm, Matt grabbed for her, but missed. "Come on Demi!" He shouted. She tried again, this time he was able to grab it. She climbed up the wall and collapsed on top of the much larger man. "Thanks. I owe you one." She panted.

She watched as Nate popped two flares and waved them. The helicopter circled back around and prepared to land. "Oh shit!" Shane yelled, his face twisted in horror. Demi turned around and immediately signaled the other men. "Hold a perimeter! Head shots only!" She ordered. They watched as the undead climbed over each other and thrashed wildly in their efforts to reach the still living humans. "We can't hold them!" Shane yelled over the noise from the helicopters rotors. "Get them on the chopper!" She yelled pointing at Matt. He immediately grabbed Selena, Taylor and Camila and ran to the helicopter. He watched in horror as the undead got closer. "We gotta go now!" The pilot yelled. Matt nodded and jumped off the helo. He ran toward the remaining members of his team. "Let's go." He screamed. Shane and Nate immediately began to fall back. Demi continued firing into the horde. He knew that she was buying them time. "Demi! Now!" He screamed from the helicopter.

He watched as she sprinted towards the chopper. He fired into the horde dropping the ones closest to his Commanding Officer. Once she made it the helicopter, he could see that she had that look. "Shane, cover fire now!" She ordered. The commando dropped to his knee and began to fire out of the side of the chopper. "Matt, listen to me. I can't get on this chopper, it's already loaded down as it is. I want you take care of my family for me. You're the only one I trust. Do you understand me?" He was stunned, he tried to object but she insisted. "Demi what are you doing?!" He heard Selena sob as the chopper began to ascend without her. He grabbed the woman so she couldn't jump out, she fought against him with all her strength. "Demi!" She screamed. He could feel her entire body shaking with sobs as she fought him. She fought to get to her. "I'll find you baby! I promise!" He heard Demi yell from the rooftop below. He watched as she turned and fired more rounds into the horde. "Dammit!" Nate cursed. He knew he had no choice, he grabbed his pack and jumped back down onto the roof. "Never leave a man behind ma'am. I'm not gonna start now." He told her as he opened fire into the horde.

Selena fought the much stronger man until she was exhausted. She collapsed and sobbed into his arms as she watched the building disappear below them. "Shhh." Matt soothed into her hair. She pulled herself away from him and immediately reached for their daughter. "She'll find us mom, she promised." The fourteen year old whispered as her mom held onto her for dear life. "She has too." She added as the tears fell. Taylor sat frozen in shock as both men stared into the distance mourning what they considered to be the loss of their friends. Matt's eyes were bloodshot as the tears fell. He made no effort to disguise them. Shane placed his hand on his friends shoulder as tears of his own escaped.

Demi looked at the man beside her and nodded. "Let's go!" She yelled. She scanned the area looking for an escape. "There!" She exclaimed. He nodded his understanding and both commandoes took off running full speed. As they neared the edge of the building both soldiers took a deep breath as they launched themselves off the building. Demi brought her arms up to shield her face as she crashed through a window on the other side of the alley. "Nate!" She called out as soon as her body crashed onto the floor. "I'm good!" He yelled from the other side of a wall. "Shit." Demi muttered as she examined the piece of window lodged in her forearm. She took a deep breath and pulled the jagged glass out of her body. Nate arrived just as she removed it, he grabbed some gauze and tape out of his med kit and wrapped it.

"You good?" She asked him.

"Yeah. Barely a scratch." He smiled.

"Fucking window." Demi muttered, kicking the glass as they walked away.

"What's the plan?" Nate asked as the slowly crept down a long hallway.

"I actually didn't have one." Demi answered honestly. "My plan, included you being on the chopper so you couldn't ask me that question." She added with a smirk.

"Roger that." He replied with a nod. "Has anyone ever told you, you're crazy?" He asked the shorter woman.

"All the time." She answered. "We need to find somewhere to regroup so we can come up with an actual plan." She stated as they scanned the area for undead or survivors. "Let's open up one of these apartments. Hopefully there's food and supplies we can use."

Once they found an apartment with multiple escape points, they breached the door and made sure it was clear. Once they confirmed that there were no undead or living within the premises, they settled in for the night. "I'll take first watch." Demi stated. "Get some rest. You deserve it." She told the young man patting his shoulder and giving it a light squeeze.

"Do you think we'll find them?" He asked quietly as he settled in.

"We will find them, or die trying." She answered.

"Can I ask you something? It's personal..." He trailed off.

"Yeah." She answered softly.

"How did you meet Mrs. Torres?" He asked with a shy smile.

"You mean Selena?" Demi asked as she laughed. "No one calls her Mrs. Torres." She added smiling at the youngest Gray brother.

"Yeah. I didn't want to be rude." He stated, nervously scratching his face.

"I met her my senior year of high school. She was the most beautiful thing I had ever laid my eyes on. It was during a basketball game. I was driving toward the basket when she walked underneath the hoop. When I went up for the layup, I already had too much forward momentum built up and I plowed right into her. I helped her up an when her eyes met mine, I was hooked. We sorta stared at each other like a couple of weirdos before I heard my coach screaming at me to get down the floor." She told him. "After that, a friend if mine gave me her number and I called her everyday until she agreed to go out with me. I knew if I could get her to go on one date with me, she'd be mine forever."

"So what happened?" He asked.

"I was right." She said with a smile. "We stayed together throughout college and got married before I enlisted."

"I always hoped to meet someone, but then all this happened." He said sadly.

She reached forward and squeezed his arm. "You will. I promise." She stated. "Get some sleep. You're gonna need it."

"Roger that ma'am." He said as he closed his eyes and drifted to sleep.

As she sat there in the darkness, she couldn't help but wonder if her family was safe. She knew Matt would protect them with his life, but now that they were out of her sight, she felt helpless. Selena and Camila were everything to her. The whole world had gone to hell, but she still had them. Outside, she could hear the occasional gunshot cut through the night air. It was every man for himself now. It saddened her to watch as the world around her collapsed. They fought hard, but in the end, it didn't matter. The infection was winning and there wasn't a damn thing anyone could do to stop it. The government had declared martial law, but by then it was too late. They shut down the entire North American border. No one could leave, and no one could enter, at least not in theory. She was left in charge of Los Angeles. Once it became unmanageable, she ordered a complete evacuation of anyone they could rescue. All military resources were devoted to preserving as much human life as possible. Eventually she lost communication with her entire battalion with the exception of the three men that helped her save her family. She had known each of them for a long time. They were her closest friends. She was thankful they were with her at the command post when everything fell apart. Together they were stronger.

She awoke startled, immediately raising her weapon. She groaned when she realized it was just Nate, searching the apartment for supplies. She got up and started helping him.

"Morning." He smiled.

"How long was I out?" she asked.

"Just a couple hours." He answered.

"I think we hit the jackpot." He said grinning as he showed her the pile of beef jerky and trail mix. "I think whoever used to live here liked to go hiking." He added holding up several coils of sturdy nylon rope designed for climbing.

"Fuck yeah." She said. "Let's pack this shit up and get moving."

They divided the supplies evenly and prepared to exit the relative safety of the apartment. They moved quickly and silently scanning the corridors and open doors for any threats. In the stairwell, they slowly descended, each of them knowing that once they left this building, it was all up to fate. Life or death. Slowly Demi turned the door handle, Nate raised his weapon preparing to fire at anything that might wait outside. As the door opened he stepped outside, scanning in every direction. "Clear." He whispered loudly. Demi followed. They stayed close as they made their way down the narrow alleyways, avoiding larger streets and open areas. The undead preferred to mass in large groups. They couldn't do that in small cramped spaces. They used the buildings for cover as they slowly made their way across the city. Demi was hoping to make it to the harbor by nightfall, at the pace they were moving, she knew it would be impossible. She was right. As the darkness descended upon them they had no choice but to dig in for the night. She pointed out a surplus shop and they made their way toward it. Demi signaled for them to hold.

"We need to be quiet. Noise attracts them." She whispered pointing to a horde about 100 yards away. Nate nodded his understanding and pulled out his combat knife. Demi did the same. Carefully they entered the building, immediately they were spotted by three of the undead. Nate quickly shoved his knife into the forehead of the one closest to him. He watched as Demi threw hers directly into a second one, the blade stuck firmly in its eye socket. The final creature made its way toward Demi, she climbed over the counter to put an obstacle in its way. While the creature was distracted by Demi, Nate came up behind it and shoved his knife through the back of its head. He could hear a popping noise as he twisted the blade. Once the commandos caught their breath, they quickly moved the bodies outside and barricaded all entry and exit points.

"Holy shit that sucked." Nick exclaimed quietly.

"Tell me about it." Demi mumbled. "We will gather any ammo and supplies we can in the morning. Let's get some rest." She told her companion. He nodded and they settled in back to back, each keeping an eye on their surroundings. She glanced out the window and looked at the stars. They looked so peaceful, oblivious to the chaos below them. She watched as they twinkled without a single care. As she stared at the heavens above her, she took comfort in knowing that somewhere out there, Selena was underneath the same night sky. "I will find you." She whispered to the night air.


	2. It's Going To Get Worse

Once the helicopter landed, the remaining five survivors silently disembarked. None of them spoke a word to each other. They had spent the past 24 hours being transported, switching helicopter's twice. They were directed over to a large canvas military tent. They stepped inside and were greeted by a tall man. He looked to be older, his hair was gray and he was wearing a camouflage uniform.

"I understand you were a part of Lt. Colonel Torres's outfit." He asked making eye contact with Matt.

"Yes sir." The visibly distraught commando answered. "Gunnery Sergeant Gray was as well." He added motioning toward Shane. The older man shook both of their hands.

"Who are these three? He asked looking at the women.

"That's Selena and Camila Torres, Lt. Colonel Torres's wife and daughter." He answered, pointing at Selena and Camila. "That's Taylor. Gunnery Sergeant Grays wife."

"I see. Where exactly is Lt Colonel Torres?" The older man asked.

"She didn't get on the helicopter." Matt answered.

"Why the hell would she do that Captain?" He asked Matt.

"Because there were too many people, the helicopter couldn't take everyone. She knew that from the get go. We didnt really think about it. She did. She saved us." He answered quietly.

Selena cried silently as she stood there listening to the men talk. She missed her wife. Demi was everything to her. Her heart was aching and she felt utterly helpless. She had no way of knowing where Demi was or if she was even still alive. She felt Camila wrap her arms her waist as she buried her face into her mothers chest. Silently she stroked the girls hair. She didn't know how they were going to get through this. As she stood there, she was vaguely aware of the argument that started between Matt and the gray haired man. Their mannerisms and speech were abrupt. She willed herself to come back to reality and listen. She had a feeling whatever was being said, was extremely important. She was right.

"Sir, with all due respect, I promised to look after the Colonel's family. I have no desire to become another pointless casualty in a hopeless fight." She heard Matt say.

"I give the orders out around here son." The older man snapped. "You will do as I say or be shot for treason! Do I make myself clear?"

"Crystal." Matt said through gritted teeth.

"Take the three of them to the civilian quarters." The gray haired man told one of the soldiers that was standing close by. "You two will meet up with the strike team and prepare for the assault." He told Matt and Shane.

"Matt what's going on?" Selena asked him, the worry evident in her voice.

Quickly he walked over to her. "Listen to me Sel." His voice low and serious. "Do what they tell you. I will come and get you. I promise. We are not staying here. Keep Mila close." He said glancing at her daughter. "I will come for you. I promise." He said as a soldier took her arm and instructed her to follow him. Matt watched helplessly as the three women were taken from them. He was furious.

"Matt... Let go of me!" She cried as she yanked her arm out the soldiers grasped. "Don't fucking touch me!" She yelled at the soldier.

"Keep your fucking hands off her!" Matt snarled as he grabbed the much smaller man by his throat. Immediately Shane pointed his weapon at the men that advanced toward his friend.

"Don't move." He warned them. "Drop your weapons. Now." He ordered. "I will kill every fucking one of you." He added. He was dead serious. Slowly the soldiers dropped their weapons. "Kick them closer to me." He instructed his hostages. He glanced over at Matt who still had his hands on the man who had upset Selena. "Tay, Mila. Pick up the guns." he told the two visibly upset females. They both quickly grabbed the guns and hurried behind him.

"Matt." Selena said softly. "Let him go. He can't breathe. He's going to die." She watched as he continued to crush the mans windpipe. "Matt." She whispered, touching his arm. "Don't."

Slowly he loosened his grasp on the mans neck. He let the man drop to the floor. He watched as he choked and gasped for air.

"I hope you know what you're doing son." The gray haired man stated.

"Just give us some supplies and we will go. I don't want to hurt anyone. I will if I have to." Matt told the man in charge. "This is pointless. There's no more government. I just want to protect the people I love. Please just let us go." He asked.

The gray haired man silently considered the request. After what seemed like an eternity he finally spoke. "Take whatever supplies you need. I won't make you stay." He relented. "Like I said before, I hope you know what you're doing."

Once they had loaded all the supplies into the humvee, the group of survivors climbed in and left the military compound.

"Is everyone ok?" Shane asked as they drove.

"I'm ok." Taylor answered.

"I guess." Camila responded.

Selena didn't respond. She simply stared out the window and watched as the burning city passed her by. The streets were littered with debris and damaged vehicles. Her stomach churned as she saw the dead bodies. She knew that nothing would be the same. She knew that somewhere out there, Demi was fighting for her life. She squeezed her eyes shut in an effort to stop the tears. It was useless. She hasn't stopped crying since she watched Demi dissappear on that rooftop. She wasn't strong enough for this. She leaned her head up against the doorframe, she wished it was Demi's shoulder. She'd give anything to be able to reach out and feel her warmth.

Camila glanced at her mom. She could tell that this entire situation was taking its toll. She looked so sad. She wished she could help. Her moms shared a connection that defied logic. It was borderline madness. She was so proud of how much they loved each other. She closed her eyes and tried to remember the last thing she heard her mom say. She remembered it had something to do with Matt taking care of them. It was frustrating her that she couldn't remember her exact words. Her heart sank as she realized that those words were quite possibly the last thing she would ever hear her mom say, and she couldn't remember them.

Taylor sat in silence and stared at her husband. She was so happy that she was with him. She studied his face, he was frowning. He looked tired and worn. He hasn't shaved in a few days so he was also very scruffy. She knew that he was worried about Nate. Nate was his youngest brother and the only one he had left. Jason died during the initial outbreak. She couldn't imagine having to be seperated from the people you loved most. She glanced at Selena and grabbed her hand. The broken woman didn't even acknowledge the gesture. Sighing, she let her hand go and leaned her head back against the seat.

Shane stared grimly ahead. The encounter back at the outpost left him on edge. He realized that not only were they going to have to watch out for the undead, but they were going to have protect themselves against other people. He found that thought to be completely disturbing. He glanced in the backseat to catch a glimpse of his wife. Thank god he had her. It was hard enough losing his brother. His thoughts drifted to Nate and Demi. He hoped they were both ok. Not knowing where they were, left him feeling depressed.

As Matt drove, he felt completely exhausted. The past few days had been complete hell. It was only going to get worse he thought, as he navigated the vehicle through the city. They had a long journey ahead of them. He and Demi had agreed that if for any reason they got seperated, they would meet up at the cabin she owned in Big Bear. It was remote and hardly anyone knew it existed. He tapped Shane's shoulder when he noticed a sign directing traffic to Mile High Stadium. They were in Denver. He watched as his friend realized their location and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Fuck." Shane muttered. "As if this day didn't already suck enough." He added.

"It's only going to get worse." Matt stated as he drove them away from the burning city. "We are going to have to prepare them." He said referring to three women seated behind him. "They need to be ready, just in case something happens to us."

Shane swallowed. "I know." He said rubbing his face. "Do you think they're still alive?" He asked.

"I hope so." Matt answered grimly. "Demi is resourceful. She won't bow out easily, you know that. She's got Nate with her and you know how she is. It will take more than the end of the world to keep her away from Selena and Camila."

"The odds are against her." Shane stated.

"They're not exactly in our favor either." Matt huffed.

"How will we find her?" Shane asked.

"We don't. She'll find us. Before everything went to shit, we came up with a plan. We agreed that we would go to her cabin in Tahoe." Matt answered. "It's remote and has enough supplies to last a few months while we figure out what to do."

"We've got a long road ahead." Shane sighed.

"Like I said, it's going to get worse." Matt stated grimly.


	3. World In Flames

**A/N: Sorry this one took so long. Hope y'all like it! **

By the time Nate and Demi were within viewing distance of the harbor, they were exhausted. They both ran up the fire escape. Once they reached the top, they were both doubled over panting heavily.

"Holy shit." Nate gasped as he saw the disarray. "It's completely overrun."

"If they brought them here, they're fucking dead." Demi stated grimly. "FUCK!" She screamed out toward the chaos.

"We can't just..." Nate breathed.

"I know." She interrupted. "Just give me a minute to think."

"Is this really happening?" Nate asked, his voice slightly higher than normal. "I mean is this really the fucking zombie apocalypse, because this shit literally just makes no sense. LA is fucking burning to the ground and people are eating each other..."

"Nate..."

"This has gotta be just a really bad dream or something." He continued. "This shit does not happen in real life." He finished, running his hands through his hair.

"Are you done?" Demi asked.

He nodded and kicked a pile of trash. "Yeah. I'm good." He said.

She knew that trying to search for Matt and the others at the docks would lead to certain death. She also knew that Matt wouldn't let anything happen to them. She had no way of knowing the timeline of the events that occured here. If it happened before the chopper arrived, chances are it was re-routed. She just didn't know where. She didn't even want to think about the possibility that it happened after they arrived.

"Check your ammo. We're going down there." She said grimly.

"Shit Demi! Are you crazy?" Nate asked.

She grabbed him by his collar and shook him hard. "I will stop at nothing to find her!" The angered woman yelled. "You're either with me or on your own." She said releasing him.

"Whatever you say boss." He said quietly as he checked his magazines. "I've got six full clips" He said.

She quickly checked her ammo stash as well. "I've got seven." She said. "No matter what we stay together. Head shots. We move quickly. Got it?" She asked her younger companion.

"Got it." He said.

They slowly began their decent down the buildings east fire escape. Once they reached the street, they were immediately attacked by a horde of the infected. They raise their assault rifles and started to thin out the herd. "We gotta move!" Demi yelled over the gunfire. The noise from the gun fire was attracting more and more of them. They lowered their weapons and started running toward another building hoping to take cover. They were cut off by another group of the undead. Demi watched in horror as one of them grabbed a hold of Nate. He fell to the ground pulling the creature with him. Demi quickly pulled it off of him and shot it with her pistol. "Let's go!" She yelled as she pulled him up and they ran toward the docks. Both commandos quickly grabbed a hold of the six foot high chain link fence and climbed up it. They dropped down on the other side and took a moment to catch their breath as the undead slammed against the fence.

"We have to go." Nate panted. "It's going to give." He said referring to the fence.

Wordlessly, Demi pulled her tired body off the pavement and headed toward the docks. Nate followed. They quickly dispatched any of the infected that they came across. The refugee camp was completely destroyed. Their were no signs of life anywhere. The docks were empty indicating that all the ships had already set sail. There was no way to know if Selena and the others had been here or not.

"Umm...Demi...we've got company." Nate said very slowly.

"Holy shit!" She whispered as she saw the endless ocean of decaying zombies running their way. She quickly checked their surroundings and spotted a truck. "There." She said pouting at the vehicle.

They both ran and climbed into the cab of the truck. Thankfully the doors were unlocked. She reached under the steering wheel column and pulled out a bunch of wires. She pulled out her knife and cut them then rubbed two of the wires together until she heard the truck start. She could hear the thumping as the zombies grabbed at the truck. She sat up and smashed her foot on the gas pedal. She could feel and hear the steady thuds as she ran over several of the undead. They drove until they were no longer in the city. It took several hours. Cars, debris and barricades made it difficult to navigate. The endless hordes of flesh eating corpses didn't exactly help the matter any. They both groaned when the vehicle ran out of gas. It had gotten dark.

"Shit." Nate mumbled. "You'd think things couldn't worse.

"Let's push the truck off to the side of the road. We can make it look like its crashed into the rest of these cars over here, and we'll stay in it until morning. It will give us some cover and shelter." Demi said.

"Ok." Nate agreed.

They climbed out of the vehicle and quickly pushed it into a clump of cars off to the side of the road. As soon as they were finished, they climbed back into the cab of the truck and locked all the doors. Both commandos had their weapons in their lap ready to go.

"I have a feeling we're not going to much sleep." Nate said quietly.

"I have a feeling you're right." Demi replied as her eyes scanned over the are surrounding the truck. "Let's get in the backseat." She said quickly. "The windows are tinted and there's more room."

Once they settled into the backseat, Demi felt slightly more relaxed. "Ammo check." She whispered.

"I've got five mags." Nate answered.

"I've got six."

"I'm sorry about freaking out earlier on the rooftop. This whole situation is a bit surreal to me." Nate apologized.

"It's ok. I'm right there with you. This shit is fucking stupid and I feel like I'm on a bad acid trip or something, so don't worry you're not alone."

"I'm glad I'm going through it with you and not someone else." Nate said smiling.

"You should have stayed on that damn helicopter. You're an idiot"

"I couldn't leave you behind alone. It didn't seem right."

"I just wanted them to be safe."

"Shane and Matt are with them. They're fine. I dot think they ever made it to the docks. I think they went somewhere else."

"I don't know how we're going to find them. The only option we have is to go to Tahoe and wait." Demi said sadly.

"What's in Tahoe?"

"Our chance to survive all this bullshit. Once the initial outbreak occurred, I had stocked up my cabin with supplies to get us situated until we could come up with a long term survival plan in the event the infection wasn't able to be contained. Matt and I discussed a plan in the event we were seperated, Tahoe is where we would meet."

"It's a good plan." Nate said with a yawn.

"Do you hear that?" Demi asked signaling for him to quiet. He shook his head. "There it is again."

"It sounded like a woman screaming for help." Nate whispered. "Its coming from over there." He said pointing at a rundown auto garage.

"Let's go." Demi said opening the truck door and stepping out into the night.

Both commandos quickly scanned the area and moved stealthily toward the rundown building. They could her several male voices and what sounded like muffled crying. Demi touched Nate's arm and signaled for him to take the left. He nodded and moved in the opposite direction. She slowly moved toward the light and voices.

"We're gonna have some fun with you..." She heard a gruff voice sneer.

She signaled for Nate to hold and quickly poked her head around the corner. She counted 4 men and 2 women. The women were captive. She heard screaming and struggling. She gave Nate the signal to attack and both commandos quickly made their prescence known. Demi shot the man closest to her through the back of the head. She then pulled her knife and stuck into another one. She glared into his eyes as she pushed it through his chest. It was quite clear to her what was happening here as she looked at two frightened girls shaking on the ground. Nate had killed one of the men and held the last man by his hair with a knife to his throat.

"Still having fun?" Demi asked the man as she knelt down beside both of the girls. "Did they hurt you?" She asked.

They both shook their heads no. "Go ahead and close your eyes." She told them. "You don't want to see this." She looked at Nate and nodded. She could the anger flicker in his eyes.

He slowly slide the knife across the mans throat. He released his hair and let him fall to the ground and watched as he squirmed and held his hands to his throat. The crimson red spilled out between his fingers. "Little bitch." He hissed as he spit on the man.

"You're safe now." Demi said softly to both girls. "Come on. Let's get out of here."

Nate helped both the girls to their feet and they exited the old building. They quickly led both girls over to the pickup they had been using for shelter and helped them inside.

"W-who are you people?" The girl with the long dark hair asked.

"I'm Demi and this is Nate. We used to be Marines." She explained. She noticed that both girls visibly relaxed. "What are your names?"

"I'm Lauren." The dark haired girl answered.

"I'm Normani." The other one said softly.

The four survivors sat in the truck and talked about what was happening and what the plans were. Demi learned both girls were teenagers and that their parents had died recently. Both girls wanted to stay with Demi and Nate. In the back of her mind she wanted to say no, they would just slow them down, but she couldn't. She thought about Camila and she couldn't imagine what she'd do if it were her.

The next morning they spent most of their time looking through the vehicles for supplies and siphoning gas for the truck. Once they had everything they needed, they loaded into the truck and proceeded to get as far away from Los Angeles as they could. Demi glanced in the rear view mirror and caught one last glimpse of the burning city. She looked at the two scared teenagers and glanced quickly at Nate. He reached underneath the seat and tossed her a case of full of CD's. He winked and she grinned. She searched through them until she found the perfect one. "Riot!" by Paramore. As soon as she popped the disk in the girls squeeled and sang along. Demi couldn't help but join them as Nate bobbed his head. Everyone in the truck was oblivious to to the world outside. This would be a moment that they wouldn't get often and they enjoyed it.

"I have a daughter the same age as you girls." Demi stated to their new passengers.

"Where is she?" Normani asked.

"She's with her mom, somewhere out there." She said gesturing out the window.

"What's she like?" Lauren asked.

"Awkward and wonderful." She said laughing.

"I hope they're ok." Normani said sadly.

"Me too." Demi sighed.

They continued driving toward Bakersfield. The girls napped while Nate and Demi sat in silence. We were going to have to get some more supplies,Demi thought. Once they got on the 178, there wouldn't be much civilization and they had quite a ways to go still. She found her mind drifting to Selena. It was driving her crazy not knowing where she was and if she was ok. She wanted to hold Camila. She knew she would be completely terrified right now. She closed her eyes and tried to remember what Selena smelled like. Vanilla cupcakes maybe? She couldn't quite describe it, all she knew was, whatever she wore, it made her want to eat her. She smelled that good. She laughed at the irony of her thought.

"You alright?" Nate asked.

"Yeah. I was just thinking about Sel." Demi said. "Are you good?"

"Yeah. I'm glad we found them." He said glancing at the girls. "Fucking assholes." he grumbled.

"I know. There's going to be a lot of that. Things are going to keep worse."

"People are so fucking stupid sometimes."

"I know Nate."

They didn't say much after that. They just kept driving hoping they were one step closer to finding their loved ones.


End file.
